Words Unspoken
by bs13
Summary: AU. Peeta Mellark, football player and rich, good-looking guy, has agreed to take on a bet: to get Katniss Everdeen, goth chick and resident loner of Panem High, to go out with him. What he didn't realize, though, is just how hard it has proven to be.
1. Tonight you're mine completely

**This may sound really weird, but this story is based off of the song "Will you still love me tomorrow" by The Shirelles. It's not a song that really describes this idea, but it's the inspiration, so...yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.**

**Oh, and this is all in Peeta's POV.**

**EDIT: I changed a lot of things. I've made Peeta a little awkward, but in reality he's a sweetie with a way with words, so some stuff didn't make sense. And he's a guy, so I've been downplaying that...yeah, I just changed stuff. Reread it or something if you need to.**

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I'm trapped.

Some blond girl- who's very drunk, by the way- is hanging off my arm and mumbling what she probably _thinks_ are sexy words, but instead are horrific tales that I really don't want to know about. See, when you play spin the bottle, you're supposed to kiss whoever it lands on, right? And then you keep playing? Well, this girl and I kissed, but we didn't get to keep playing; she grabbed my arm and dragged me aside to mumble her horrific tales.

She's hot, but she's not _that_ hot.

I shoot looks at my friends Finnick and Cato, but they don't notice that I'm in distress; instead, they keep playing spin the bottle like there's no tomorrow. Only my friend Marvel notices my situation, and he gives me a thumbs up and mouths something like "she's hot", so I know I've got no help there.

My two girl friends- Clove and Glimmer- also don't seem to notice, as they're also playing spin the bottle. Clove gets Cato, and they kiss, which brings on a round of whoops that make me even more invisible than I already am.

I gently pry the girl off of my arm, and thankfully she doesn't seem to notice; she's so drunk that she's drifting off to sleep in the middle of a story (which is just as horrific as the others). So I let her lay down on the carpeted floor, unsure of what to do. I don't her name or who she came with, so there's no way I can get her a ride home.

"Want a drink?"

I'm barely done setting the girl down when a red plastic cup is shoved in front of my face. I look up into the smiling face of my friend, Madge Undersee, who holds her own cup. Grateful, I take the cup.

"Thanks," I say, and I take a sip. The stuff burns as it goes down, and I must've made a face because Madge is laughing. I laugh too, but afterwards I say, "What, are you trying not to remember anything about tonight?"

"Pretty much," Madge says. "Two more days until school starts and I need all the summer memories I can get, hangovers and puking into toilets included."

"Some summer memories."

"Tell me about it," she says as she continues to sip at her drink. It isn't until we drain our cups and are both feeling a bit light-headed that she speaks again, and it's only to ask, "So who's this?"

"Huh?" I squint and notice she's pointing to the girl passed out on the floor. "Hell, I don't know. We kissed and then she tried to seduce me by telling me about how she was on her period and couldn't get pregnant."

Madge grimaces before she says dryly, "Sexy."

"Exactly." I take her cup. "Want me to get you another drink?"

"Yes, please," she says, and I leave.

The house- Cato's house- is crowded. How could it not be? He's a quarterback, he's rich, he's popular, and to the girls, he's good looking. So with these things in mind, I curse every single one as I go to get us drinks- I can barely squeeze through the crowd, and it's all to blame because of Cato's popularity.

When I get into the kitchen, there are two people making out against the refrigerator. Lovely. Ignoring them, I go into Cato's cupboards and find some vodka that hasn't been taken. I'm about to take the two cups and go, but as an afterthought I grab the whole bottle, just in case.

Sipping at the burning liquid, I'm making my way back to the room where Madge and my other friends are when I make eye contact with someone leaning against the wall across from the bathroom.

Dark hair styled in a braid, olive-colored skin, grey eyes- it's Katniss Everdeen, with her usual scowl on her face and the usual all black outfit that makes her stand out among a group of preppy jocks and girls who are getting wasted into oblivion.

My slightly foggy brain can't process the scene quite right. Why is she here? I know her, and so do my friends, but my friends hate her. She can't possibly know anyone here, or at least be liked by anyone here, so again, why is she here?

Her scowl falls when she notices that I'm staring. Her face morphs into one of confusion, and then of guilt. She quickly pushes herself off the wall and turns away, looking for someone, but then someone exits the bathroom and she quickly ducks inside.

Weird.

I shake it off and leave. The others are still playing spin the bottle when I enter the room I was in earlier. Madge's sitting on the carpet, watching the game and eyeing the passed out girl with caution, so I go over to her.

"Finally," says Madge when I hold out a cup towards her. Her eyes widen when she sees the bottle, but then she grins. "Now who's trying not to remember anything from tonight, Peeta?"

I grin sheepishly and say, "Just in case."

"Well, either way, next time the drinks are on me," she jokes as she sips from her cup. This time she makes the face as it burns down her throat, and _I_ get to laugh at her.

Clove and Glimmer join us when we're into our third round of drinks, having stopped the game while the guys hang behind to watch something on Cato's phone. After a while, though, Cato, Marvel, and Finnick join us, and we're all drinking and laughing when suddenly Clove makes a suggestion.

"Let's play truth or dare," she suggests, which starts chaos.

Glimmer's saying hell yeah, but Marvel, Cato, and Finnick are complaining that the game's girly while Madge and I sip at our drinks and try to get desperately wasted before the conversation gets anywhere.

"No _way_," says Cato surely after a good round of arguing. "If you play, we're out of here."

"You guys are stupid," Clove argues. "Are you all really afraid of a little game?"

"We're not afraid," says Cato instantly.

"Yeah," Marvel adds quickly.

"Then play," Glimmer says, rolling her eyes.

Finnick's shaking his head, but Marvel looks towards Cato before he starts shaking his own. Cato doesn't say anything, but instead he moves as if to leave, with the other two guys moving as if to stand up too.

"Losers," Clove jeers childishly. "You're all afraid of a little game."

Cato frowns and says meanly, "Shut up, Clove."

"But it's true, and you just don't want to tell yourself that," says Clove smugly.

"Yeah," Glimmer adds, and then as an afterthought- probably to one up Marvel- "Exactly."

Cato narrows his eyes. "I'm not _afraid_ of anything."

Clove smirks. "Then prove it."

So Cato sits down, and so do the other guys.

We get a system running: Finnick starts, then Madge, then Marvel, then Glimmer, then Clove, then Cato, then me. The plan is whoever is next has to have their fate decided by the person before them after they choose truth or dare.

Madge has to reveal that she's kissed a teacher before.

Marvel has to kiss Glimmer.

Glimmer has to reveal that she's gone skinny dipping.

Clove has to streak through the party.

Cato has to go outside and throw toilet paper over the neighbor's trees.

Then it's my turn, and Cato turns on me with his smirk on his face, ready to pounce.

I swallow a mouthful of vodka too fast when I realize it's my turn, which makes me start coughing. Finnick thumps me on the back, but even my choking isn't enough to save me from the game.

"Peeta," says Cato slowly, savoring the look of terror I must have. "Truth or dare?"

I can't say truth- I'll never hear the end of it. So it's with a shaking soul that I say, "Dare."

Cato's face breaks into a grin. "I want you to go to the bathroom and-"

He's stopped by Madge, who gasps aloud.

"The bathroom!" Madge freaks out. "I left Katniss outside there by herself like an hour ago!"

The look Clove gives her is one of utter disbelief. "Are you _serious_? Katniss Everdeen? She's, like, the most pathetic person ever! Why would you bring _her_ here?"

Clearly while her head would face the effect tomorrow, the vodka Madge has consumed doesn't mess with her brain and good judgement as she merely says coolly, "Katniss is my friend."

Glimmer stares at her now, incredulous. "You can't be serious. Katniss is a _freak_!"

"She's creepy as fuck," Marvel chimes in, agreeing.

Madge looks annoyed. "Don't say that about her. She's my friend."

Cato rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed his dare for me has been interrupted, while I'm kind of just thanking the heavens that this is happening. Little did I know, though, things were just about to take a turn for the ugly.

"Friend or not, she doesn't belong here," says Clove bluntly.

Madge starts to frown. "Belong where? There's no restrictions to a _party_."

"Yes there are, and one of them is that we don't let pathetic freaks in here."

"Shut up, Clove," Madge cuts her off angrily, and it's the first time I've seen her angry like this; usually she's sweet and smiling, and always being nice.

Clove narrows her eyes. "Make me."

Madge falters. She's not violent, not even with words, and she won't stoop to Clove's level. Instead she stands, taking her cupful of vodka with her as she mumbles, "I'm going to get Katniss and we'll go. See you later, Peeta." She stumbles away and I can't even say goodbye properly.

"She's such a bitch," says Clove when she's gone. "God, I hate her."

Glimmer murmurs in agreement.

"What a shame," Finnick says, watching Madge go. "I was hoping that you two would eventually get so angry and violent that you'd start making out."

Clove looks at him like he's insane. "Finnick Odair, you're a dick."

"Thank you," he says, grinning with his line of perfect white teeth.

"Why are you so pissed off, Clove?" Marvel asks after a few seconds. "It's not like Katniss is doing anything to you or to this party. She's never even talked to you."

Clove frowns. "She's a _loser_, Marvel. And we can't let random losers into our parties."

But even though she won't say it, I know the real reason why she hates Katniss. It's because Cato, who Clove has a crush on, asked out Katniss once whereas he never asked out Clove. Even though this occurred in middle school, Clove's always been one to hold a grudge.

"It's not like it matters," interjects Finnick at Clove's words. "She's leaving."

"Yeah, and with _Madge_," Glimmer spits.

I don't say anything- I don't trust myself to. The thing is, Madge's probably the only person among my friends that I really like. The others are cool, but I can't tell them the things I tell Madge. But I'm a coward, so I don't even speak up for my friend.

"You guys say everything like it's bad," Cato interrupts, smirking.

"It is," deadpans Clove, but Cato shakes his head.

"You guys have to realize that Katniss Everdeen is hot," Cato continues.

Clove stares at him, her mouth falling open. "_What_?"

"I'm saying she's hot," he repeats. "She's on our turf, too. So what do you say we take advantage of this situation?" His blue eyes sparkle with something- eagerness, probably. He's preparing to make Katniss's life a hell.

While we're all wondering where Cato's strange choice of words came from- Clove especially- his eyes zone in on me, and a smirk tugs the corners of his lips upwards. That's when I realize that I'm fucked.

"Peeta," says Cato slowly, "I've got a dare for you."

I open my mouth to ask what it is, but my mouth's gone dry. I let a sip of vodka burn a path down my throat once for hydration, then I clear my throat and say, "Bring it on." While my words are confident, let me tell you, they're not said confidently.

Cato's smirk only grows. "It's more of a bet, really."

I'm even less confident now, but I say, "What kind of bet?"

"Oh, it's not a hard one, if that's what you're wondering," Cato says dismissively. "It's easy."

But I don't trust him, so I press forward and say, "What happens if I win this easy bet?"

Cato grins. "You don't have to do the dare I was going to make you do."

"What were you going to make me do, then?" I ask cautiously.

Cato's grin reminds me of an evil villain- you know, the ones you see in movies. (Probably just the Joker, though). Even so, nothing's scarier than his words as he says, "I was going to dare you to take a shower with the curtains and door open."

"Naked?" Marvel asks, looking as if he's about to laugh any second now.

"Naked," Cato agrees, his evil grin staying put.

There's no way in hell I'm doing that, and I voice that as I say, "Fuck no. What's the bet?"

Cato smirks again. "You're going to get Katniss Everdeen to go out with you."

While Clove visibly relaxes, I don't.

"Okay," I say, my voice surprisingly calm, even though I'm hating myself for agreeing to this.

Cato looks almost impressed. "Then you'll do it?"

"Yeah," I say, trying to remain calm. "What are the rules?"

I don't want to do this. I really, honestly don't. I don't think Katniss is a loser at all, and no one deserves to be strung along like this. Besides, she hates me; there's no way she'd even agree to go out with me, so there's a huge chance I won't be able to win this bet.

"Rules are that you have one month," Cato lists readily. "You can do whatever you want, ditch us whenever you need to for her, whatever makes you seem like you're into her. You win, and you're out of the dare."

"And if I lose?" I ask, testing the waters.

Cato smirks. "I pick an even worse dare."

I'm pretty sure my eyes widen.

"It's up to you," Cato says, grinning at my face and shrugging like it's nothing big.

"Right," I mumble. "Well- can I think about it?"

Wrong answer.

Marvel laughs aloud. "You have to _think_ about it?"

"Seriously," Clove says, "even _I'd_ take that bet. What's there to think about?"

Finnick throws an arm around my neck. "Aw, don't gang up on poor Peeta. He doesn't know if he's able to get a girlfriend or not, the cute little boy, because he has poor self-esteem when it comes to girls. Don't you, Peeta?" he croons.

Cato laughs and says, "I honestly don't think Peeta can do this, self-esteem or no."

"Hey, I find that offensive," I say laughingly.

But seriously, I really don't have much experience with girls, so I actually _do_ have poor self-esteem when it comes to girls. I have a way with words, so I can talk to them easily, but I haven't had many girlfriends. I guess, like my friends, I'm sort of a player; I've had enough one-night stands to know I'm good with girls, but I can count on one hand how many girls I've dated for more than a week.

So I can't be as thick to assume that I'd be stringing Katniss along with this bet. It'd be more likely that she'd string _me_ along, because I'll be honest, she kinds of scares me with her whole dark goth image and ever-present scowl.

There's a saying that's inscribed on a tree of the front yard of Panem High, which is the high school me and my friends go to. No one knows who carved it, but it's legendary. It reads: "May the odds be ever in your favor". Right now, I'm thinking that the odds aren't in my favor, period.

"Come on, don't say things like that," Glimmer says suddenly, trying at least. "Peeta can do this. He's hot, he's rich, and there's not a guy that's sweeter than he is. He's got this in the bag."

I shoot her a grateful smile, even though I'm not sure if I should thank her or not just yet.

Marvel glances between us like there's a puzzle he can't quite solve when Glimmer finishes her speech. Cato raises his eyebrows teasingly. Finnick smirks as he takes his arm away from my neck. Clove's eyes widen in surprise.

"I don't _like_ Peeta," adds Glimmer hurriedly at the looks she gets. "I'm- I'm being a good friend!"

Finnick laughs. "Then why are you so red?"

"Shut _up_, Finnick," Glimmer says through clenched teeth, her skin flushing a deeper red.

I'm feeling kind of awkward now. Me and Glimmer? That's- a strange thought. Not that she isn't a cool girl. No, she's a good friend of mine, and I like her. Just not in _that_ way. Besides, I swear that by the way Marvel was staring, _he's_ the one who likes her.

"You know, Peeta hasn't even said if he'll do the bet or not," Clove says, changing the subject.

_Fuck_.

"She's right," Glimmer says quickly, to both back her up and get away from the previous topic.

Cato looks towards me, grinning a half-smile that only means trouble as he leans back on his elbow comfortably on the carpet, all while keeping a cup of vodka in another hand. "So what's it going to be, Peeta?"

_My friends are assholes._

I weigh the possibilities. I've got a chance- a _very_ low chance- with this bet. Not to be conceited, but like I said, I'm sort of a player. If I can get so many girls, who's the say I can't get Katniss Everdeen, too?

"Okay," I say, and my voice shines with a little confidence when I add, "I'll do it."

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**Thank you for reading, and I'd really love it if you guys reviewed!**


	2. You give your love so sweetly

**Hey guys! I was so excited when people responded to this story, so thank you for that!**

**By the way, I changed some stuff in chapter one. It's some major stuff relating to the plot line, so I suggest that if you want to, please go back and read it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.**

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I'm assaulted when I step out of my car.

Finnick's arm comes around my neck, and he's being trailed by Marvel and Cato, both who are grinning jubilantly. After he drags me close into something like a hug- a strictly _guy_ hug- Finnick shoves me away in his joking manner and exclaims, "It's time, guys! This is gonna be _our_ year!"

Marvel hoots, and he and Cato exchange fist bumps.

You'd think that a bunch of academic-wary boys would be less excited about the first day of school, but they're not. Football players and ladies' men: they're always confident when it comes to anything.

Finnick then takes off in a sprint, racing Marvel to get to the gate, where Clove, Glimmer, and Madge are waiting for us there. Cato and I keep to walking, however, and I only have one guess as to why that is.

My guess is proved to be correct as Cato casually says, "You ready for this bet?"

The only thing I can do is smirk slightly and reply, "Are you?"

Cato laughs and slings an arm around my neck just as Finnick did earlier. "This is going to be great. I can't wait until Everdeen finds out; she's going to want to kill you."

What a _great_ friend, am I right?

"She's going to love me," I correct him. "She won't want to kill me."

Cato snorts. "You're pretty sure about yourself."

"Who wouldn't be?" I say casually, trying to make it seem like it's going to be the easiest thing in the world, both to calm myself down and to make it seem like Cato's made a mistake by making this bet with me. "She's a loser. She'll be thrilled I'm even paying attention to her."

Cato laughs again, but this time lightly. "Okay, man. I'll take your word for it." He's not smirking while he says this, though, and I know he's feeling a little unsure about having his fun with me failing this bet.

Meanwhile, I'm feeling guilty about it already. I've called Katniss Everdeen a loser, and I don't ever want to be that asshole of a guy who actually believes bullshit like that. I don't even consider myself popular here; why should people like Katniss be called losers?

We reach the others, and while Clove hurriedly goes to hug Cato and flirt all she wants, I go to stand by Madge, who hugs me in her dainty, careful way before she gives me a sweet smile.

"It's so good to see you, Peeta," she says gratefully, and I translate this to mean she has had a bad time standing alone with Clove and Glimmer. I don't blame her; after what they said about her yesterday, I'm not sure about those girls anymore.

"It's good to see you, too," I reply. "Did you get that hangover you wanted?"

Madge flushes, saying, "No, I did _not_."

"Pity," I reply, but my face breaks into a smile, and soon she's smiling too.

"What about you? Did you get yours?" she teases.

I'm about to reply, but Finnick comes over to us and interrupts our conversation.

"Someone save me," he says dramatically. "They're playing kissy face and I'm the odd one out." Madge and I both laugh somewhat uneasily and realize that Finnick's only acting this way because Cato and Clove are talking while Glimmer and Marvel talk as well.

"You and Peeta could always do the same," Madge teases, a twinkle of mischief in her eye.

I'm pretty sure I make a disgusted face as I exclaim, "Madge!"

Finnick gasps dramatically. "Are you saying I'm not pretty enough, Mellark? Well, screw you!"

All three of us end up dissolving into comfortable laughter.

**_BRIIIIIIIING_**.

The bell rings suddenly, loud, shrill, and clear. Madge looks at me. I look at Finnick. Finnick looks to Marvel. Marvel looks to Glimmer. Glimmer looks to Clove. Clove looks to Cato.

It's with a superior tone that Cato says, "Let's go."

There's no question that Cato's the ringleader here. He thinks he's the most popular guy in school, and maybe he's right. Either way, we're all pretty much brainwashed to follow him, which is probably why I agreed to take the bet in the first place.

We're entering the gates, being pushed up against a crowd of teenagers. Cato reacts rudely, shoving people left and right, so we just follow the path he clears. When we enter the school building, people part to clear a way down the hallway for us. It could almost be a montage, the way we walk down the hall.

Cato's tossing his backpack over his shoulder, grinning. Marvel's got his hands in his pockets and is looking casual. Finnick's winking and saluting everyone, but mostly girls. Clove tosses her hair and smirks. Glimmer's slower than the rest of us- in both mind and pace- but she still makes up for it as she smiles flirtatiously as she walks. I settle for a normal walk here, just nodding at the occasional person. Madge, I notice, walks stiffly.

"You okay?" I whisper, and she stiffens a little more.

"Yeah," she says quickly, relaxing just the slightest. Her eyes scan the crowd, and she's about to say something else, but her mouth opens and closes and she just says as an afterthought, "Thanks for asking."

I hesitate. "Madge, if something's bothering you-"

"No, I'm good." A beat. "Really."

I decide to let it pass, so I reluctantly say, "Okay."

We reach our lockers, which are all in the same hall. We've already looked at each other's schedules, so I know that I have first period with Finnick, third with Cato, and fourth with Clove. I don't have any classes with Madge, though, which is a bummer.

"You ready, Peeta?" Finnick asks as he yanks on his backpack somewhat begrudgingly.

"As I'll ever be," I reply, to which Finnick scoffs at.

He knows that I'm actually good at school, and usually that would get me a punch in the arm and a wistful line about being better than the rest of us. It's true that I don't have to try to do well in school, but I don't think I'm better than anyone. If they'd put their minds to it, all my friends could do as well as I usually do.

"Our first class is English," Finnick says glumly as we walk to the classroom. "I hate it."

I don't. I actually like English a lot, but I don't tell him that.

Instead I settle to say, "I'm sure you'll do great this year, Finn."

Finnick grunts in response.

We get seats next to each other, and luckily we're not reassigned for alphabetical order or anything. Even if we were, there'd be no shortage of good company; this class is full of good-looking girls, and Finnick's noticed this, because he doesn't seem uneasy about english class anymore.

By the time the first boring introductory hour is over, Finnick and I have to part ways. I sit through my next class- history- next to a brunette girl who introduces herself to me and spends the rest of the time trying to be coy by doing things like dropping her pencil so I pick it up for her. Seriously, what does she think this is, a rom-com movie?

By third period- Anatomy- I'm tired and I want to go home, but of course the morning's only begun. Luckily, after third period, I have lunch, and then one more period before I get to go home. My first two classes seem easy enough, but I'm more worried that I'll have no classes with Katniss, which would make my bet harder. I didn't have any with her freshman or sophmore year, so I'm hanging on to the hope I'll get a class with her this year.

I meet Cato outside the Anatomy classroom, which is where we have third period together. He's leaning against the wall when I find him, talking to a leggy blond while flashing his smirk that for some reason seems to get him girls. He lifts his head coolly to see me, and he keeps his smirk on as he says, "Hey, man."

"Hey," I echo, and we do a quick handshake sort of thing, which we end it with a first bump. The leggy blond is then pulled away by a friend, which leaves me and Cato by ourselves. Since Cato's smirking- and that means he's amused by something- I take this as an opportunity to ask, "What's up?"

Cato's still smirking as he tells me, "Looks who's here."

I turn and notice Katniss Everdeen standing not far from us. She's looking down at the ground, not talking to anyone around her. Her face is blank minus the scowl that covers her lips, and she most definitely doesn't look happy.

"Yo, Everdeen," calls Cato suddenly, and my heart speeds up in a panic when she looks our way. She doesn't say anything; instead, she stares at Cato coolly, her eyes fixated on him coldly. Cato smirks at her and then says a simple, "Hi."

"Hi," she says just as coldly as her eyes look before she turns away.

Cato's smirk turns into a wide grin, and he looks at me unabashedly and says, "Good luck with that, bro. I don't think you can pull it off with someone like her."

I try to mirror his smirk. "We'll see."

The teacher opens the door then, so Cato doesn't answer. When all the students have squeezed in, the teacher starts the class by saying, "As you know, this is an Anatomy class. If anyone shouldn't be here, leave now." Someone hastily leaves. "Alright. I'll have ask you all to pair off into lab partners."

Cato looks towards me, but I lean to him and whisper, "I'm going to ask Katniss."

Cato smirks. "Okay, dude. Good luck- you'll need it." He turns to go find the leggy blond, leaving me alone as other students go to find their own partners. A few girls seem to be looking my way, so I quickly make my way to Katniss, who has her arms crossed over her chest and stands alone.

"Hey," I say when I reach her. "Want to be my partner?"

Katniss's grey eyes flicker to me, and she frowns the slightest, her eyebrows furrowing and the smooth skin of her forehead wrinkling. She almost seems to weigh the idea in her mind as she doesn't speak right away, but after a few seconds she says a curt, "No."

I falter slightly, feeling more nervous than ever, but I cover it up and ask, "Why not?"

Katniss purses her lips. "You're Cato's friend, aren't you? Go with him."

She's dodging the subject. I can see it in her eyes. She's looking at me in something like terror, but not quite; I can't find the word to describe it. I decide to try to flirt then, just to ease the tension- well, if I can manage to learn how to to flirt in the next few seconds, that is.

"I'd rather have you," I reply lightly, which is my failed attempt of flirting. "You're prettier."

"I bet Cato would be upset if he heard that," Katniss says dryly.

_Not the reaction I was expecting. Not even a smile? I'm losing my touch...if I ever had one._

"Well, I think everyone else doesn't stand a chance against you," I say, smiling.

Katniss doesn't say anything else after that; she just turns away on the heel of her black boots. She doesn't even move away, or walk away. No, she just turns as to not speak to me anymore, crossing her arms and scowling as usual.

"Hey, wait," I say, surprised.

"What?" Katniss asks, exasperated slightly as she turns to look at me. "I already said no."

I'm feeling kind of awkward now. I've never really had a girl say no before.

Katniss looks almost irritated by now. Maybe she still thinks I'm making fun of her. Before I can assure her that I'm not, and maybe ask her if she'll be my partner again, the teacher beats me to it.

"Good, everyone's paired off," the teacher says, interrupting the exchange between Katniss and me. Well, at least I now have Katniss as my lab partner, even if she looks disappointed to be with me right now.

We take a seat at a table, across from a pair of girls. The table's large and square, with four chairs tucked into it. Katniss moves to sit down stiffly, but I make sure to pull out her chair for her before she does. When I do, she eyes me in what can only be suspicion before she actually sits down.

The action puts me to ease. That's a gentlemanly act, right? And what girl doesn't like a gentleman? I mean, it's no award winner move, but it's a start, even if it's a somewhat bad one.

The teacher starts droning on about something, but I turn to look at Katniss. She either doesn't notice or pretends not to, because she doesn't look over to me; instead, she takes out a notebook and a pencil to start taking notes about whatever the teacher's talking about.

I sit back and watch her. Her fingers move fast, and though her face displays her confusion with the subject being discussed, she keeps writing, never pausing to ask a question. When she writes, she makes this almost irritated face that makes me laugh a little, though the laugh escapes even when it's not supposed to.

"What?" Katniss looks at me now, her tone almost defensive.

"Nothing," I reply, trying to keep a straight face, but I want to laugh again. It's so...strange, being with her. I've never been bad with strangers, but somehow, this girl seems untouchable. So as I try to compensate for my laugh, I make a bigger fool of myself and ask, "Do you have a pencil I can borrow?"

Her brow furrows. "Maybe...I don't know." She doesn't move for her backpack, though, and instead she keeps staring, maybe trying to figure out why I'm acting like this.

I'm pretty sure that my face gets a little red. "Uh- you know what, I think I might have one."

She frowns, but she doesn't answer.

When the bell rings, Katniss is the first one out of there. I linger behind and notice she's left behind her pencil in her haste. It's an ordinary pencil, nothing that would be missed, but I see it as a chance, so I pocket it and catch up with Cato, who is leaving.

"How'd it go?" Cato asks casually.

"Good," I reply, even if that isn't adequate grammer.

Cato looks at me. "Seriously, dude, how'd it go?"

I hesitate. "She's going to come around."

"Don't be so sure there," Cato snickers, and he looks happier than he was seconds before. I don't get his deal. If I win this bet, nothing will happen to him. It'll just prove he was wrong- which, when you think about it, is a pretty big deal to him.

"You shouldn't be so sure, either," I say quickly. "I'm going to do this."

Cato smirks. "We'll see."

We walk together to the cafeteria. Cato's talking about how hot some of the girls this year have gotten, but I barely hear him- I'm trying to look for Katniss. Lunch is the perfect time to get to know her (or get her to warm up to me at least).

"Cato! Peeta!" Clove calls our names when we enter the cafeteria. She's snagged us a good table- one that's far enough to get away from the cafeteria food smell, but still close enough so people will be able to notice us. She's seated with a whole bunch of other people, including Finnick, Glimmer, and Marvel, but also other jocks and cheerleaders. Madge, I notice, isn't there.

So we sit down.

I'm seated between Glimmer and another girl- a senior- whose name is Enobaria. I'm content with not speaking to her, but Enobaria goes ahead and ruins our peace- or _my_ peace- as she says, "You're Peeta, right?"

"Yeah," I answer. "And you're Enobaria."

Enobaria laughs lightly. "You're too cute."

_Cute_? _Is that supposed to be an insult or something?_

"We"- Enobaria gestures to a tall, built boy across from her that I recognize as Brutus, a guy on the football team- "heard about your bet. That takes some balls; Katniss Everdeen is a freak."

"Oh," is all I can say. "I didn't think Cato would tell anyone."

Enobaria laughs again, but this time her laugh is meaner. "Are you kidding? Who _wouldn't_ you tell? This kind of bet is so stupidly impossible that it's going to be awesome to watch you crash and burn."

_Well, thanks for the encouragement._

"Give the guy a break," Brutus pipes in. "He can do this."

Enobaria snorts. "You willing to put money on that, loser?"

"Oh, I would," Brutus replies, grinning a sick smile.

"Wait," I interject, "I don't really want people betting on me..."

"Hey, who wants in on some gambling?" Enobaria asks loudly.

So I sit there and let the scene unfold around me.

Finnick bets I can do it.

Cato, of course, bets that I can't.

Clove backs up Cato.

Marvel bets that I can't.

Glimmer bets that I can.

Good to know which friends I can count on and which ones I can't.

"I'm going to get lunch," I declare as several people argue over whether or not I can get Katniss Everdeen to date me. Of course I don't actually want the shit that the cafeteria serves, but I _do_ want to get away from everyone else.

Finnick notices, and he winks and says, "Liar. You just want to find Katniss."

_Well, now that you've said it, I kind of have to, don't I?_

His words bring many stares. Enobaria then says, "Really? You're going to do this?"

Her words are almost offending, but I wave it off as I scoff, "Of course I am. C'mon, guys, give me some credit here. I can get any girl I want in here, and Katniss Everdeen is no exception."

There's some laughter, but many others look towards me in respect. So I know how I have to do this, then- I have to play it off as an overly confident asshole, and then maybe I can get through this with my reputation intact.

"Well, there she is," Cato says, gesturing to where Katniss has taken a seat at an empty table. He smirks his signature smirk before he adds, "Go get her, _lover boy_."

I make my way over to her, trying to be confident. Do I even look attractive today-? I hope I do. I mean, the brunette in first period seemed to like me, so I should hope that I look okay...

I hover awkwardly before her table, my hands in my pockets. My palms are getting sweaty, but I try to ignore that. She doesn't look up from her lap, where she's holding a phone, so I clear my throat and wait. It works; she looks up, brushing a stray piece of dark brown hair that's escaped the braid she usually has.

"Hi," I say lamely.

"Hi," she echoes, furrowing her brow slightly. "Is there something you need?"

I fish her pencil out of my pocket. "You- left this behind."

She looks at me quizzically. "It's just a pencil."

"Yeah...but it's _your_ pencil," I say. "Can I sit down?"

She hesitates, and the confusion's heavily outlined in her eyes, but she says a quiet, "Sure."

I can't stop myself- I grin. Maybe this won't be so hard after all...

...Then I realize I'm thinking like an asshole, so I stop thinking like that.

Suddenly my brain is left with empty thoughts. I have no idea what to say to Katniss, and by the look on her face, she doesn't know what to say, either. In fact, she's probably curious as to why I'm here.

"So," I say, "how about that weather?"

She doesn't smile. Not even a little one. "The weather's okay."

I nod. "So...Katniss. Your name...it's interesting." I offer this kind of awkwardly, so it's no surprise to me when Katniss stares at me a little weirdly.

A beat, and then she says, "I know."

Awkward silence ensues before I say, "How are you liking your classes so far?"

Katniss is silent for a second, but there's the ghost of an emotion lingering over her face when I look at her, and I realize she's upset. Before I can say anything, she beats me to it as she blurts out, "Why are you here?"

That catches me off guard, but I say as smoothly as I muster, "I want to get to know you."

"No, you don't. No one ever does," she says sharply, almost daring me to counter her words.

"Well, I'm not everyone else," I say.

Her grey eyes, which are as sharp as steel, flicker to my face and stay there a few seconds before she says, "Yes, you are. And you've got all your friends and money to prove it."

She stands up and leaves me confused.

I'm like everyone else because I have friends? Because I'm rich? I stare after Katniss Everdeen in slight shock, wondering just why she's so upset, and what I can do to make her warm up to me.

Even if it'll take me all of one month, I'm going to get Katniss to go out with me.

I repeat this to myself in my head, over and over again, as I rejoin my friends at our table. I want to assure myself that I can do this, and that I don't care about Katniss's feelings, and that she's just going to have to live with the fact that I have friends, and she doesn't, and that I'm rich and she's not.

But I can't assure myself. I'm not sure I can do this, I really don't want to hurt Katniss's feelings, and I don't like the fact that she doesn't have friends and that she hates me because I'm rich and like everyone else.

My stomach gets a weird cold feeling as I think all this.

_Fuck you, life- why do you have to be so difficult?_

"He's going to lose," says Enobaria when she sees me.

"No, he's going to _win_," Glimmer cuts in, and everyone starts arguing again.

I let them argue over my social life as if I don't give a fuck, and maybe I don't. I'm looking around the cafeteria by now, trying to make myself find Katniss, even if my stomach still feels sick. I want, more than anything, to call off this bet, but I can't; I'm a fucking coward, and that's not going to change anytime soon.

I finally find Katniss, and she's sitting next to a boy that looks as if he could be her brother. She's actually smiling at him, and he's smiling back, and they look comfortable in a way I know she'd never be with me.

I know I'm a total asshole when the first thing I think is _this is going to make the bet harder._

* * *

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	3. Tonight the light of love is in your eye

**Er...this chapter is one I'm not proud of, but it's here-?**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.**

* * *

My lungs burn as my legs strain forward, and a trickle of sweat drips down my cheek. I'm so close to the line that indicates I would have run down half the field, and I'm actually getting excited, but suddenly Cato catches up to me and tackles me sideways.

The wind is knocked out of my lungs as we go down hard. My back takes the worst impact on the ground, but Cato's body come crashing down on top of mine at the same time. The football goes flying from my fingers. I think someone picks it up, but I can't tell anything, since Cato's beefy, heavy form is still thrown over me. And far too close to me, let me tell you; he's so sweaty that I can practically smell each drop of sweat as it rolls down his face.

Cato rolls off of me, finally getting the idea to wipe the sweat off his face. His hand shoots out and grips my wrist, successfully grabbing hold of me and jerking me upwards a little more painfully than a friend should.

"You're getting rusty, Mellark," he mocks, obviously smug from his succesful tackle.

I smirk a little, just to mock him back, and I say back just as smugly, "You must be pretty rusty, too. You let me get all those yards and you didn't even try that hard to stop me."

He frowns a little, but he doesn't respond.

The whistle blows again, and the coach yells for the final play to start. Cato and I jog towards the center of the field, arranging ourselves in our positions. Finnick, the quarterback on my team, clamps a hand on my shoulder encouragingly as he takes his place, and I just now he's going to send the ball my way when the whistle blows.

I'm shoved up against some beefy guy- Gloss, I think his name is- when Finnick makes a hand signal that starts off our play. He throws the ball, and I catch it squarely in my arms as Gloss and the player behind me guard as I start to run.

I begin sprinting forward again. I duck past Cato and some other members of his team, but he's the only one who immediately starts to pursue me. Determined to make it this time, I strain my legs forward, even though they scream in pain with every yard that I take.

"Go, Peeta!" screams some random girl from the bleachers.

I've grown accustomed to ignoring the yells of my fellow students- I have to keep a level head. I keep going, never even pausing, dodging the opponents that have scattered themselves around me. Marvel makes a pretty aggressive grab towards the ball, but I swerve out of the way and he falls over.

Finnick hollers something, but I don't hear him over the blood that is thumping in my ears. I'm panting heavily as I strain forward now. Usually that would make the coach upset- she doesn't like it when we don't regulate our breathing- but even she couldn't stop me now.

I hear Cato cursing behind me and hear the distinctive sound of two bodies hitting the floor. Good, someone's tackled him. Now all I have to do is reach the end zone, and it's so close...

Brutus throws himself in my path, but I duck to the side of him. Unfortunately, the move throws me off balance, and I end up falling to the side clumsily. Brutus notices this and swipes for the ball, but I yank the ball closer and burst forward.

The whistle blows when I pass the line of the end zone.

The few people in the bleachers erupts into cheers. Fuck yeah, I've scored a touchdown. There's no way the couch can ignore that; I'm definitely going to be on the team this year.

Finnick comes beside me, and he whoops, "Atta boy, Peeta!"

The other players start going in from the field as the game buzzer goes off. My team's won, and the other players on my team are whooping along with Finnick. The ones on the losing team also come trickling beside us on the coach's call.

Finnick is busy rubbing his knuckles on my head when Cato and Marvel join us in the field. Marvel immediately congratulates us on our win and jokingly declares I almost killed him, but Cato's icy stare isn't quite as welcoming when he greets us.

"Listen up, boys," the coach, Atla, yells. And while she's a gentle looking woman, I can assure you that she has the soul of a forty-something-year-old cranky man when it comes to football. "You all had a great scrimmage. I'll post the results tomorrow, but for now, you're dismissed. Get some water or something if you need it."

I join Finnick, Marvel, and Cato as we walk off the field to where the water boy is setting out cups of water. The water boy is pale and scrawny, and he has a crippled leg. Even without looking, I know that Cato's smirking at the sight. The thought makes an apprehensive cold feeling in my stomach bloom.

"Thanks," Finnick says as he takes a cup, grinning his charming smile. He also hands one to me, and I gratefully toss it back as eagerly as Finnick does. My itchy, aching throat seems to exhale as the cold water trickles down it.

Cato takes his own cup, but he doesn't drink it as fast as Finnick and I did. Instead, he settles to small sips, staring at the water boy with dangerous, glittering blue eyes.

"So you're going to be the water boy this year, huh?" Cato says casually.

"Yeah," the guy mumbles, not quite meeting Cato's eye.

Cato smirks, but he doesn't say anything else just yet; first, he swallows the rest of his water, and then he crushes the cup in his hand. The cup gets thrown onto the ground, and Cato slowly drops his elevated hand to his side, his body swaggering slightly to the side in a threatening manner.

"Part of that job is picking up the used cups that get dropped," says Cato smugly. "Get to it."

The crippled boy seems to get even paler than he already is.

"Dude," Finnick intervenes, "chill."

"What?" Cato plays the innocent. "Isn't that his job? Peeta, you know it's his job, don't you?" He fixates his cold eyes on me, and he's smirking like the arrogant asshole he is because he knows I won't say anything against him.

Well, I decide that I _am_ going to speak up against him- I may be a scared, pathetic ass, but even I don't think Cato's ever justified with anything- but I am stopped when the crippled boy bends down to reach for the cup.

That is when everything goes wrong.

Cato's leg lashes out so fast anyone could've missed it. The crippled boy's good leg gives away and he hits the ground, hard. The cup, which is within a few inches of his hand, lays untouched.

"C'mon, freshman," Cato jeers. "Get the cup."

The crippled boy tries to shakily get up, but this time, Cato kicks the boy's crippled leg. The boy winces in pain, but he doesn't make any sound as he falls back onto the floor, pained.

My body tenses, and I'm about to step forward when Finnick's hand grips my shoulder.

"Don't," he mutters quietly. "You'll make it worse."

I'm about to argue, but then Cato looks in our direction. Luckily he didn't notice that I had tried to help the boy, or he would've been doing a lot more than looking.

The crippled boy pushes himself up with quivering arms as he gets into a sitting position. His crippled leg is awkwardly splayed out as he struggles to get up from his good one.

"Get up, _water boy_," Cato taunts, grinning a sick smile. Cato then proceeds to spit at the boy's feet, which seems to be the breaking point for the boy, because the boy looks as though he's about to cry.

My stomach's cold, sick feeling only grows as every second passes. Finnick still has his hand on my shoulder, and his fingers grip my shoulder tighter as if he's holding on to me for his own benefit. But Cato's words- water boy- remind me of how he called me lover boy yesterday, and it's echoing through my mind.

Even then, I swallow the urge to do something.

"Pathetic," Cato says surely, and he takes a cup of water and flicks it at the boy on the ground. The water splashes the guy in the face. After Cato does this, he reaches out and helps the guy up, only to say, "This never happened. You get that?"

The water boy nods feverishly before he nervously stammers, "I-I do."

Cato nods back. "Good."

Cato turns and walks away. Marvel, Finnick, and I can only follow.

"Man, that guy was pathetic," Marvel pipes up as we walk, oblivious to the way Finnick looks a little pissed and the way that my body is tensed. "I wonder why the coach got _him_."

"I know, right?" Finnick says, but his laugh sounds forced to me.

"Forget that," Cato says dismissively, not even mentioning how he just bullied someone who had done nothing to him. "The real question is whether we're doing anything tonight."

"Let's go out," Marvel suggests. "The girls are waiting for us in the bleachers."

He's right. Madge, Clove, and Glimmer are waiting for us in the stands, talking to some of the other girls we hang out with- Enobaria and Cashmere are the two I recognize right off. Brutus, Gloss, and some of the other guys are there, too.

I walk over to Madge.

"Hey," I say, and she gives me a weak smile.

"Hi," she says softly. "You were great."

She sounds depressed. And I don't use the word depressed lightly.

"Madge, are you okay?" I ask, confused.

She nods. "Yeah. Why?"

"No, you're not," I retort. "Something's going on with you, and I don't understand it. Is- is everything alright at home?" I ask this question because Madge's mother is very sick, and I'm worried that something has happened.

"Yeah," Madge repeats. "It's all good. Really."

"Madge-"

"I'm fine, Peeta, honestly," she says, and this time she sounds a lot more defensive. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather, and with school starting it's been kind of stressful. I'm...tired, that's all."

If she was really tired, why wouldn't she have said that before? I know there's more to what she's telling me, and I voice that as I argue, "That's bullshit, Madge. You're not telling me something."

Madge sighs, and her hand goes to the bridge of her nose. "You wouldn't understand."

Well, that doesn't fit well into my head. I'm the guy who always has to be the one to offer emotional support, no matter what, and I'm the guy who just knows when something's going on.

"I can try," I suggest, and Madge smiles just the tiniest bit.

"Not today, Peeta," she says, sighing. "Maybe later."

"I'll hold you to that," I warn, and she smiles a tight-lipped smile.

Somehow, I know she won't tell me anything, but I don't want to push her. Sometimes it's better to leave things alone, and this is one of those things.

We both rejoin the conversation that's going on between the rest of our friends. Finnick's talking about sneaking into a bar, Clove and Glimmer want to sneak into a dance club, and Cato and Marvel want to go back to Cato's house to have a makeshift party.

In the end, neither wins, because we have to stay where we are to hang out as the cheerleaders start tryouts. Clove, being head cheerleader of course, has to set the example and actually do stuff, while Glimmer and Madge help her out in their own ways.

I'm not going to lie and say that I think cheerleading is boring. Come on, hot girls in miniskirts? No guy with sense would pass up on the chance to see _that_. Still, while we sit and watch tryouts (which involves Clove, Glimmer, and Madge doing some demonstrations), I'm feeling kind of bored, so I start to scan the faces of the people in the stands.

There's the friends of the girls trying out for cheerleading, the girlfriends of the guys trying out for the football team, random kids there because they actually like the sports, the usual. I'm about to turn my attention back to the cheerleaders, but then I see Katniss Everdeen sitting a few rows away.

She's staring out at the field, but there's no trace of emotion on her face, not even her usual scowl that makes her look as though she's annoyed with the world. For some reason, this makes me nervous.

No, nervous isn't quite the right word. Guilty is.

Finnick elbows me in the ribs, clearly having seen her as well. Before I can even complain that it's Friday, aka my stress-free day, and I _don't_ want to do anything involving the bet today, he decides to be an asshole and say something.

"Isn't that _Katniss_?" he teases, as if I'm a boy in love.

This piques Cato's attention, and he looks. Marvel, being himself, also has to look. Katniss- as if sensing all the people staring at her- turns to stare at us. When her eyes meet mine- gray on blue- a curious feeling blooms in my chest. I'm not sure what it is, but it has a lasting effect.

Lamely, I muster up a grin and I give an offhanded wave her way.

She turns away.

Finnick chuckles from his spot, showcasing his dimples as he grins teasingly at me. "You're going to let that stop you?" His words are just as teasing as his grin is.

I stand up. "No, I was just...I don't know."

Even as I say the words, I cringe. I'm never that inarticulate.

"What a lovely way with words you have, Mellark," Finnick replies. "I'm seriously wondering why Katniss hasn't jumped you yet; you are _such_ a catch." He even clamps his hand dramatically over his heart as teases me further.

"Fuck off, Finnick," I grumble, and I brush at my jacket collar. "I _am_ going to get her."

"Hey, I didn't say you wouldn't," Finnick insists, holding his hands up to show his innocence. "I'm just wondering what's taking so long, since she can't stand you and it's been a week."

"Right. It's been just a week." I brush off his words. "And would you stop talking about this all the time? I don't want her to find out it's a bet so she can hate me even more."

"Don't worry, man," Marvel pipes up. "The others are sworn to secrecy."

I open my mouth to ask if Madge knows, but then I close it. I'm not sure if I _should_ ask them about Madge. Madge and Katniss are friends, so if Madge knows, she's going to tell; Madge is terrible at keeping secrets. At the same time, I don't want them to _not_ tell Madge, because I don't want Madge to think I'm an asshole at the end of it all.

"Okay," is what I finally mutter, and I then turn away to get to Katniss.

When I walk over to her, her body tenses visibly.

"Hey," I greet her, awkwardly sticking my hands into my pockets. "I know last time I tried to sit down with you didn't work out very well, but can I sit next to you again?" I add a lopsided grin to my words, hoping that might be the icing on the cake to sell the act.

Katniss looks up, and her gray eyes aren't as steely as before when she answers, "If you want."

So I sit down.

"What brings you here?" I ask. "Did you come to see me try out?" I add the last part teasingly, because obviously that is not the case and I figure it can break some of the awkward tension.

"No," she says curtly. "My friend tried out, too. I'm waiting for him while he changes."

"Oh, really? Who?" I ask, trying to be nice.

Katniss shrugs and doesn't answer. Maybe it's a weird subject for her.

"...Alright, then. So, how are your classes going?" I ask, just to change the subject.

"Okay." She pauses. "How- how are yours?"

And just like that, things get sort of weird. It's like Katniss is actually trying to be nice to me or something, or at least humoring me. Though she looks hesitant to speak to me, she's really trying.

I wonder why.

"I guess the same." I offer her a half-smile. "Er...I meant to ask you something."

She's quiet for a second, but then she says, "Shoot."

"Yesterday you seemed kind of angry at me," I say cautiously. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but did I come off the wrong way? I'm not sure what you think I am, but I don't want you to assume the wrong things about me."

Katniss grimaces. "Right- that. I actually...meant to apologize about that. It was rude of me to say," she admits begrudgingly. "I guess it was just a weird day for me."

I try to seem nonchalant as I say, "So we're cool, then?"

"Sure," she says, and she looks disgusted as she adds, "We're..._cool_."

I smile a little at the way she scrunches up her nose at the word cool. She looks so funny like that, but clearly she can't tell, because when she sees my smile she only scowls.

This makes me want to smile even more, but I refrain.

"Oh," I add hastily, "I was wondering if I could get your number, too."

"What?" Her lips part in confusion after she speaks, and her eyes widen in what can only be some sort of panic mode. "Why do you want my _number_?"

"To contact you," I reply. "I mean, that's normally why people exchange numbers."

A look from Katniss tells me it's not the time to joke.

I grin and add, "We're lab partners, remember? There's going to be countless amounts of work and projects that we're going to have to do together, so we should just exchange numbers now."

"Fine." She doesn't snap, but her tone's a little sharp. "Hand me your phone."

I hand it to her, and she enters her number.

"Cool, thanks," I say, and she nods.

Someone clears their throat beside us. I look over to see the guy Katniss was sitting with yesterday. Now that I think of it, he was on Cato's "team" during the scrimmage.

He looks down at me coolly, his gray eyes just as piercing as Katniss's. He has a bag slung over his shoulder and a hand in his pocket, practically radiating a macho need to make me feel like shit.

"See you later," Katniss mutters, and she quickly stands and leaves with the other guy.

So should I count this as progress or-?

I stand up and I'm about to walk away and get back to my friends, when suddenly Madge comes and throws her arms around my neck from behind, squeezing me like I'm a soldier returning from war.

"Sorry," she says, giggling as I nearly fall over by the surprise encounter. "Just thought I'd tell you cheerleading tryouts is over; Clove decided she'd pick the cheerleaders without even seeing their talent. Anyway, everyone's going out to get pizza. Wanna come with?"

"I don't know. I've got to get home," I say apologetically.

"Yeah, I figured," she says. "Your Mom, right?"

"Among all things, yeah," I say glumly.

She nods, and she thinks deeply and starts, "By the way, I saw you talking to Katniss."

I swear to God, my heart stops. "Oh...you did?" I say weakly.

Madge nods again.

"Well, she's cool," I say. "I was just getting to know her."

"Hey, I think it's cute," she offers. "I mean, didn't you have a huge crush on her in grade school?"

What? Did I? And how does Madge know?

"She's talked to me about it, though," she adds. "She's kind of uncomfortable about it."

It looks like the others have't told Madge about my bet. Is it because they think it's unfair towards my bet, or is it because they just don't like telling her things anymore?

"So...what?" I ask lamely.

Madge jumps off the bleachers so she's face-to-face with me, and she says, "Katniss is my friend, Peeta. I like you and I like her, but I need to know what your intentions are here."

I'm startled by this. "My intentions," I repeat.

Madge nods. "Yes, your _intentions_."

"I just...want to get to know her," I offer lamely. "I don't know what you mean."

Madge frowns, but I should mention that she looks like a little girl trying to look angry: too cute to be taken seriously. Madge then continues with, "Are you trying to get Katniss into bed or what?"

_That_ makes me do a double take. "Uh, no!"

"You sure?" Madge asks, and when I see her grin, I realize she's joking.

"Hey," I protest weakly.

"You're a sweetheart, Peeta, honest," Madge further insists. "I just don't want to see Katniss get hurt about this, you know? I think it's cute how you're finally acting out on your crush and all, but you guys have changed. You have to consider that, too."

_Uh-oh, she thinks I've been harboring a crush for Katniss since grade school._

"Don't worry about it, Madge," I assure her. "I won't hurt her."

_Great, add lying to Madge to my list of reasons to feel guilty about this bet._

"Okay." She smiles on top of it all. "I actually think you guys would be cute together. And if you want, I can help you." She hands me a paper, and when I study it, I realize it's a flyer: a flyer for the homecoming dance next week.

"You want me to do something as forward as ask her to the homecoming dance?"

"Why not?" Madge says. "It would be a romantic gesture."

"But Katniss hates school events," I blurt out before I even realize what I'm saying. Somehow, my mind tells me that my sentence is true. Somehow, I can...remember this.

"I know," Madge says, "but you could be the one to change her mind. What do you say?"

I look down at the flyer, sigh, and say, "It's worth a try."

* * *

**Those reviews were so sweet. Thank you! :)**

**Terry- I also wanted to adress your review. Thank you for your feedback! I promise, while the first chapters seem like fillers, there's definitely a plot. Every single part of this story will add up in the end.**

**florairmatylee**

**raissa20**

**CupcakeFlake**

**AnamariaJovel**

**TheWayOfTheWanderer**


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